The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-10-20

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gather round the name! Across: the
Il Father of Waters we are. in the
wild bottoms Of Louisiana and away
we fly to Shreveport, twelve hundred
and sixty-fve miles from Raleigh. .~5'.
Shreveport, on the Red River, is an
old town Of about $4,000 population,
and seems to enjoy good trade and
is evidently growing: Here we meet
Macune, Warren, Wilson. and. others
with whom we spent pleasant hoursin
Atlanta at the Inter-States Convention
and at once we "buckle down" to
work. So nothing more for The Pro
GREss1vE FARMER until we shall have
finished the task. -
: HoMEWARD BoUND-oN THE TRAIN.
= Before the Alliance adjourned, we
are forced to. tear away, for our, own
State Fair. is on hand and we must
be there. Down the Red River, on
the Texas Pacific R. R., we speed our
way to New Orleans. Looking out
over those magnificent sugar-cane
plantations, stretching away as far as
the eye could reach, with the steam
and smoke of huge sugar mills and re-
ineries on all sides, and happy negroes
stripping, cutting and hauling the
cane, we for the first time appreciate
the true sentiment of the old planta-
ton song "Away down upon the
Swanee River" New Orleans reached
and we while away the six hours we
are forced to spend here in looking at
the. sights. The old Exposition
grounds are marked only by the fast
decaying fence that e%ncloses them, and
Horticultural Hall, which is still occu-
pied and cared for. Many new and
pretty and stylish residences are going
up, but they all are modelled as to
size, after the lordly old Southern
mansions of slavery times. The Cot
ton Exchange, the Custom House and
St. Charles Hotel, are imposing and
costly buildings, but we are not i'm
pressed with the city as a desirable
place of residence.
Off we 60 for Atlanta. The one
CEN rate, L President Cleveland or
the Exposition, or perhaps all CON-
bined, fills and crowds the trains on
all the roads, with thousands of people,
even on the Sabbath day. Wonder if
some Of these good people never
signed a petition to the Legislature to
stop the carrying of freight on these
roads on Sunday. But Atlanta is
reached, and the crowd that is crowd
ing the streets and hotels and board
ing houses! A thousand negroes fill
the thoroughfares to gaze in wonder
at the thronging thousands who are
pouring in on every train. The Sal
walton Army, with drum, brass horns
and tambourine, the military and &C
companying bands, the roar of vehicles
on the paved streets, the din of ten
thousand voices, the ringing of engine
bells and the believing of whistles,
makes Atlanta a Bedlam, and we i'm
patiently await the hour when we
shall take the track on the home
stretch. "Train going North, on
Piedmont Air Line" rings out above
the heavy hum at the Markham House
and we elbowour way to it and away
we go. 1t may be all a notion, but
we feel more comfortable now that we
are seated in an elegant coach on this
splendid road, and which is noted for
the admirable manner in which it looks
after the ease and comfort of it's pat
rons. Besides, we know that we have
reached the land of good water, good
victuals and living prices. But that
Atlanta Exposition is a big thing, and
where they are going to put the crowd
that will be there, is the great and
absorbing question with the manage
ment-but Atlanta has always been
equal to any emergency.